Yes, maybe that's it...too much taupe. Gray is neutral without being taupe. Many colors look good with gray. I've never been a fan of tan/ taupe but I have sure done my share of taupe wall finishes in the 90's and early 2000's. But fear not, gray will become "dated" too, one day. Such is the nature of life, and interior design.

I am one who loved gray waaaay before it was in style, and it was difficult to find anything gray during the taupe years. My whole house is pretty much some shade of gray, white and blue. Not a single cream, beige, tan or brown thing in my house. Some love the warm tones; I have always favored the cool tones, so I am very happy to see a much larger selection of gray things. When it goes out of style, I will still have gray!

I still love my tan, ivory and cream colors, but will be using a warm, dark gray color for the barn door in a bathroom remodel. I think DH wanted something different and it will complement the slate floor. The trim will be a creamy off white though.

Although I love to look at all the pretty rooms with cool colors online and in others' homes, I prefer warmer colors in my own home. I did, however, have the pale gray color in my Ikea kitchen in the late 80's!

Because it doesn't go with SuperTuscan and it's golden/yellow undertones.

We moved a year ago and the entire house (30 years old) had to be re-carpeted and painted top to bottom before we moved in (smelled like old lady, dog, and wintergreen chewing tobacco--but we got a good price LOL).

We went gray, but warmer grays. Like it very much.

So we went with a darker gray wall upstairs, and lighter downstairs, (BM chelsea gray and edge comb gray) with SW kestrel white in all the bathrooms, and BM Sandy Hook Gray (which is actually quite green) in the MBR. We had used Sandy Hook and Kestrel White in our previous home with reds and golds, so there are some colors that can work with both. Chelsea gray has a lot of warm brown in it.

In my kitchen, I did a color match to a Pottery Barn pillow and table runner in the color rhubarb. But I had to mud it down a little by adding a few spoonfuls of black and gray and ivory to it. Now it is the color I wanted. So don't be afraid to do a mix-in to get that exact shade you want. (but keep the recipe and realize you are not going to be able to do much touch up painting in 2 years!)

I really like the grays, and can attest that they can be warm and work with ivorys and creams.

Kestral white is a great color. We painted all 3 bathrooms with it. They have almond, ivory, cultured marble, and white wood elements. Kestrel white makes it all work. A great problem solver of a color.

Agreed with the "it's not tan" comments... and grays can take on a variety of warm or cool tones, which makes them fabulous! There is something elegant about grays (imo), especially a nice warm one!

"Everything old is new again." I did gray (but with mauve ) in the 80's.

Thanks for the responses. Interesting that some mentioned it as a backlash against tan/taupe. I consider taupe to be one of the oddest colors (and very different than tan). It's neither tan or gray. It's both and not pleasing to my eye. I remember my mom buying taupe pantyhose for me back in the day and thinking "What the heck am I supposed to wear these with? The color looks awful with everything ."

Are people confusing taupe with beige? They're two different colors. I believe gray has replaced beige for now. For grays, I prefer the ones with green undertones. Our gym is painted a gray and it's just ok. I still like beige. I'm wondering what will replace gray eventually. I actually don't know anyone IRL that decorates with anything trendy. I only ever see it online or in magazines.

This post was edited by sheesharee on Sat, Oct 18, 14 at 21:41

I like your edit Shee. No one I know pays attention to trends either.

Despite the common assumption, beige and gray are not interchangeable or appropriate for every type of lighting.

In my youth, I wanted COLOR. No white or beige walls for me (gray wasn't even on the radar then). Now that I've moved from my comfort zone, I've realized that the quality of light is integral in choosing wall color. I have gray walls now, but it's a lavender gray to enhance the lighting in my home and my choice of furnishings.

Color selection isn't independent of the surroundings.

Haha
I remember my sister painting her bedroom in high school (circa 1960). She painted walls a soft, warm gray and had yellow/gray print bedspread, yellow accents and white furniture. Edgy.
Our youngest sister's comment: Looks like the inside of a boiled egg.

It is not white and it can be a cool neutral, esp. w/ a hint of blue.

I've also done various shades of gray since the late 80s when my ID suggested Norwegian wood for the kitchen cabinets and the woodwork in the kitchen and den. More recently, but still about 10 years ago, we painted all the hideous green doors in the ski house a darker warm gray and then a couple of years later painted the builder white walls a a couple of lighter, very neutral, warm grays. We're building our retirement house in a few years at the ski area and will probably go with a lot if gray then too, but will try to keep it on the warm end. Right now my Irving room is a charcoal gray below the chair rail and a lighter gray above, but I missed on those and it comes off a bit cold.

While I can appreciate a well done room with creamy whites or tans, I am not a big fan of anything with a hint of yellow (especially in snowy areas). Something about the reflection if all the white snow makes tans and creams seem dingy to me. Ironically though I do like yellow generally -- just today I had on a soft yellow fishermans knit sweater with gray leggings.

I like gray for certain things and not others, walls being one of the nots. Unless it is warmed up with surrounding colors, overall, it is not a paint color I find comforting and enjoy being in. I do own a few gray pieces of clothing but usually wear them with brights.

Exterior house colors is one area I do like gray, particularly gray painted shingled siding.
In the kitchen, gray and white kitchens can be lovely but they often seem too trendy for my budget which must carry a look for a long time.

I should learn to embrace gray, the hairs are ever increasing.

Grey is the color of dirt and represents lack of imagination IMO.

I have no clue why someone declared it to be popular.

I find gray walls depressing. Though I am not big on tan walls either. Like all trends, gray will pass out of favor in a few years.

Historically, periods of economic expansion have been associated with brighter colors, and economically sparse times with more neutral choices. Grey is the color of the economic downturn/depression. It's safely neutral and depressing all at the same time. When you see it start to be combined withthe brighter colors (like the bright yellows or purples thatare edging intothe picture) then you know that there is some economic optimism beginning to happen. Like most things, the recovery and the associated brighter palettes will drift in from the coasts to the heartland.

I disagree with the economic cycle idea. Looks at these colors from 1930-1932.

Here is a link that might be useful: Depression palettes

Some of my earliest memories are of the gray walls in the house I grew up in. This would be in the late 50's. Then they were beige or tan, then white- everyone that I knew had white in the 70's.

Wonder what will be next for walls...

Nancybee, that's funny one of my ealiest memories was of the color if the walls in our army housing in Germany.....a color i like to call antiseptic green .It seemed like every wall on the entire militany base was painted that color.

I actually don't know anyone IRL that decorates with anything trendy.

Trends can be fun. As far as actual usefulness, however, I like to say that color trends are like the first slice of bread in the bag. Everyone touches it, but no one really wants to use it.

I probably wouldnâÂÂt have chosen gray for my open plan on purpose in most instances. However, it was the best fit for Vibrant cherry cabinets and a somewhat busy granite that somewhat went with the Fred Flintstone fireplace. There is a bit of my gray wall color in the stones, granite and tic in the floor tile. Thank goodness gray is in or I would look very âÂÂoutâÂÂ.